Eye mountings for dolls



9, 1932- J. L. LITOMY ,8 ,3 3

EYE MOUNTINGS' FOR DOLLS 7 Filed July 8, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.621% I I A TTORNEYS.

g- 1932- J.'L. LITOMY EYE MOUNTINGS FOR DOLLS Filed July 8, 1951 2ShetS-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE JOHN L. LITOIIIY, 0FGLEN BEDGE, JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO JGSEBH A. TAFERNER AND(ENE-THIRD TO LEO J. SCEILITZER, BOTH OF NEW YORK, N.

Application filed July 8,

This invention relates to eye constructions for dolls, display figuresand the like, including eye members which are mounted inside the head ofthe doll or figure to be visible through eye openings and rotate tosimultate movement of the eyes, as in opening and closing thereof.

In the manufacture of doll heads of plastic material, the material oftenshrinks or expands so that the eye openings in different heads may bedifferent distances apart, or may be located out of horizontalalinement, or the face portions of the heads may vary in their relationto the other portions. Also, the heads may be similarly distortel fromtheir original shapes while in use. Accordingly, it has been diiiicultto produce movaile eve devices which can be easily and quickly mountedin the doll heads and adjusted to accommodate such variations as occurduring manufacture, or to permit the eyeballs to adjust themselvesrelative to the eye openings when the distortions occur while the dollis in use. Much difficulty has also been en countered in quickly andpositively mounting the eye devices in the doll heads.

Especial diiiiculty has been encountered in attaching glass eyeballs tosuitable mountings and providing for easy and quick rotation of theeyeballs upon tilting of the doll head, but glass eye members arepreferable to eye members formed of other material because the glass eyemembers are more natural in appearance and can be more easily made.

Among the objects of my invention are to provide novel and improvedmeans for easily, quickly and positively securing a movable eye devicein a doll head, said means comprising a single length of bendable ormalleable material such as wire, having sharp points at opposite endsand mounted in the device so that the ends of the wireniay besimultaneously forced by an impaling or penetrating operation into thewalls of a doll head, and to provide novel and improved means to limitthe extent of penetration of the ends of the wire into the doll head andcompensate for different degrees of hardness of the ma terial of thedoll head at the points of penetration of the wire, so that even shouldpene- MCUNTINGS FOR DOLLS Serial No. 549,379.

tration of one end of the wire be seriously impeded due to unusualhardness of the matethe other end of the wire will nevertheless beprevented from excessive penetration.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide an eye mounting of thecharacter described wherein the eye members shall be loosely arranged onthe supporting member and yieldingly held and rotated in the eye socketsby spring arms on a rocker pivotally mounted upon the support, wherebythe eye members may yieldingly move in any direction and excessivefriction or jamming of the eye members in the sockets and injury toglass eye members may be prevented.

Further objects are to provide in such an eye mounting a novel andimproved rocker for holdin and rotating the eye members in the eyesockets, includin spring arms which abuttingly engage the rear sides .ofthe eyeballs and may be twisted to adjust the eyeballs and properlylocate the pupils thereof in the respective sockets, and to provide aneye member of spherical form havin av flat surface on its rear side tobe engaged by said spring arms.

Other objects are to provide in an eye mounting for doll heads of thecharacter described, a rocker embodying novel and improved features ofconstruction including a blankivhiehcan be bent to form rockers fordifferent sizes of heads; to provide an eye mounting wslerein saidrocker shall be freely slidable on the supporting member to com pensatefor inaccuracy in the relation of the eye sockets to the sides of thehead without varying the spring pressure on the eye members; to providea movable eye construction for doll heads which shall be light in weightand embody a minimum number of simple parts, so that the device shall besensitive to cause easy and quick rotation of the eye members uponslight tilting of the doll head, and the tendency of theeye. mounting tobe dislocated in a head upon dropping of the doll shall be reduced; andto obtain other advantages and results as will be brought out by thefollowing description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which correspondin and likeparts are tially designated throughout the several views by the samereference characters,

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through a doll headwith an eye con; struction embodying my invention mounted therein,thesection being taken through one of the eye sockets;

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view, on the line 22 ofFigure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view, on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view similar to Figure 1,showing one of the adjustments of the eye mounting;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional View like Figure 3,showing another adjustment of the eye mounting;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the rockor for rotating the eyemembers;

Figure 7 is a plan view of the blank from which the rocker is formed;

Figure 8 is a detached plan view rocker for one size of doll head;

Figure 9 is a similar view showing the of the rocker modified foranother size of doll head;

Figure 10 is an end elevation of the rocker as shown in Figure 8;

Figure 11 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the supportingmember before it has been secured in a doll head;

Figure 12 is a similar view showing the supporting member secured in adoll head, and

Figure 13 is a top plan view of the supporting member shown in Figure12.

Specifically describing the illustrated embodiment of the invention, thereference character A designates the hollow head of a doll of knownconstruction having the usual eye sockets B in. the face portionthereof. In each of the eye sockets is arranged an eye member 1 mountedto rotate to simulate opening and closing of the eyes. Each of the eyemembers is substantially a hollow sphere of glass having on its frontportion the usual representation 3 of a pupil and provided on its rearside directly opposite the pupil with a flat surface 4 which is substanachordal plane of a segment of the sphere. Preferably lashes 5 areapplied to the eyeballs 1 in any suitable manner.

7 For mounting the eyeballs 1 in the doll head and yieldinglymaintaining the eyeballs and rotating them in their respective eyesockets B, I have provided a supporting member C upon which isoscillatably mounted a rocker D. The supporting member G comprises amain tube 6 which is of a length somewhat less than the distance betweenthe portions E of the side walls of the head A adjacent the eye socketsB. Within this tube is arranged a single piece of malleable or bendablewire 7 which has an intermediate portion 8 displaced or bent outwardlythrough a slot 9 in the tube 6 in the form of straightening a crimp. Theends of the wire are prefer ably pointed or sharpened at 10, and areinitially spaced apart a distance less than that between the portions Eof the side walls of the head.

In mounting the supporting member in the doll head, the tube and wireare properly located with respect to the eye sockets, after which thecrimp 8 in the wire is partiallyfiattened or straightened, eithermanually or by machine, by pressure upon the crimp, so as to force theends 10 of the wire outwardly from the tube. This action causes thepointed ends of the wire to penetrate the side walls of the doll head,as shown in Figure 12 of the drawings, so as to firmly secure thesupport in the head.

It may sometimes happen that the portions of the walls of the doll headadjacent the ends of the wire are of different degrees of hardness, andtherefore the tendency is for the end of the wire adjacent the softerportion of the Wall to penetrate more deeply than the other end of thewire which may not penetrate at all. To overcome this difliculty, Icontemplate the use of stops to limit the extent of penetration of theends of the wire into the walls of the doll head and thereby compensatefor different degrees of hardness of said walls. In the drawings I haveshown this means as comprising a tube 11 surrounding each end portion ofthe wire 7 within the main tube 6 and longitudinally slidable in saidmain tube. The inner ends of the tubes 11 normally contact and arenotched at 110 j with the closed ends of the notches terminating shortof the respective ends of the crimp 8. Adjacent the ends of the crimp 8the wire is formed with notches 12 to abut tingly engage the closed endsof the notches 110 as the crimp 8 is straightened, so that after eachend of the wire has penetrated the side wall of the doll head apredetermined distance, the corresponding stop tube 11 will be projectedfrom the main tube into contact with the side wall of the doll head, asshown in Figure 12, to limit further penetration of said end of thewire. Accordingly, it will be understood that when the two side wallsare of different degrees of hardness, the end of the wire at the softerwall will penetrate firstupon straightening of the crimp 8, but theextent of penetration will be limited by the corresponding stoptube 11,after which the pressure exerted on the crimp during the operation willbe transmitted to the other end of the wire at the harder wall of thedoll head so as to cause said end to penetrate the wall.

With this construction, a will be understood that the supporting membermay be 11 Live ZEKL ' of the drawings.

possibility of such dislocation of the supporting member taking place byaccident, as by dropping of the doll, and after the sup porting memberhas once been mounted, there 1S no requirement for subsequent ads justments.

Another feature of the invention is the construction of the eye members1 and the mounting thereof in the eye sockets. Each eye. member has atdiametrically opposite points in its side walls, openings 13 of adiameter considerably greater than the diameter of the main tube 6' ofthe supporting member C, and each eye member is arranged in the dollhead with one-end of the supporting member C loosely passing through theopenings 13 of the eye member, so that the eye members may move in alldirections without restraint from or contact with the supporting member;

'For holding and rotating the eye members in their sockets, I haveprovided the rocker D, which may be conveniently formed of a singlesheet of metal, as shown in Figure 7 The blank for the rocker is soshaped as to provide a main portion 14 and two pivot legs 15 which arebent into a position so that their planes are substantial.- ly at rightangles to the plane of the main portion 14, as shown in Figures 6, 8 and10 of the drawings, whereby great rigidity of the rocker is producedwith desired lightness in weight. At the end of the main portion 14opposite the pivot legs 15 is a pendulum stem 16 upon which is secured acounterweight 17. At the outer end of each pivot leg 15 is a pivotopening 18 to receive the supporting member 0, so that the rocker mayoscillate upon said supporting member, and pro ecting substantially atrightangles to the pivot legs 15 are spring arms 19 one to abuttinglyengage the flat surface 4 at the rear of each eye member 1.

In assembling the parts for mounting them in a doll head, the rocker Dis mounted on the supporting member C with the pivot legs 15respectively at opposite sides of the crimp 8 and so that the rocker mayhave a limited sliding movement longitudinally of the supporting member.The eyeballs 1 are then slipped upon the respective ends of thesupporting member with the spring arms 19 of the rocker engaging therear sides of the eyeballs. The spring tension of the arms forces theeyeballs laterally of the supporting memberunti'l the edges of theopenings 13 in the eyeballs engage the supporting member, and in placingthe device in a doll head, the eyeballs are first seated in theirrespective sockets, after which the supporting member is forced towardthe face portion of the doll head until the supporting member isapproximately centrally disposed in the openings 13 of the eye membersand in spaced relation to the edges of said openings.

Thereupon the crimp 8' is straightened to: se cure the. supportingmember in: the head, as above described.

With the device so mounted, it will be ob.

served that the eyeballs 1 will be yieldingly held in their sockets bythe respective spring arms 19,. and that the eyeballs will be re.-tated' upon tilting of the head by oscillation of the rocker and theengagement of the spring with the fiat surfaces 4t on the eye members,as indicated by dot and. dashlines on Figure 1 of the drawings.

To limit movement of the rocker in the direction to move theeye membersinto eye,- closing position, I. have provided a spring stop arm at theupper end of the rocker to engage the inside of the face portion of thedoll head, as shown by dot and dash lines in Figure 1..

To compensate for inaccuracies in the; re-

lation of the eye sockets to each other, and

to ensure that the pupil portions 3 of the eye members shall be properlylocated in their respective eye openings, the spring arms 19 can be bentin different directions as shown in Figures at, 5 and 6. By twisting thespring arms out of their planes, the eye members may be adjusted abouta. horizontalaxis to move the pupil portions up or down in the eyeopening, as shown in Figures 4: and 6, while by bending the spring armswith respect to the pivot legs 15, the eyeballsmay be adjusted aboutvertical axes to move the pupil portions sidewise in the eye openings,as, shown in Figure 5.

Another desirable feature of my invention is that the construction ofthe rocker enables the production of rockers for different sizes ofheads from a singlesize of blank. Figures 8 and 10 illustrate the mannerof bending the spring arms to form rockers for different sizes of heads,the larger size being indicated by solid lines, and the smallersizesbeing shown in dot and dash lines. Figure 10 is a plan view of thelargest size of rocker, while Figure 9 is a similar view of one of thesmaller sizes.

The invention is further particularly advantageous in that theconstruction embodies a minimum number of simple and easily made parts;the assembly of the parts may be quickly and easily made; the device maybe easily, quickly and securely mounted in a doll head; the eye membersand the rocker may be easily adjusted to compensate for inaccuracies inthe relation of the eye openings to each other and to the face portionof the doll head, and the whole device is so light in weight as to beextremely sensitive to tilting of the head so that the eye members willbe quickly moved upon even a slight tilt of the head; and thepossibility of dislocation of the'mechanis-m in the doll head as bydropping of the doll, is reduced to a minimum.

While I have shown and described my inmeans at its extremities topenetrate into opposite walls of a doll head, and means for holding theend portions of said wire against bending and permitting said crimpedportion to be straightened under pressure, so

that upon straightening of said crimped por- I tube surrounding tionsaid extremities will be forced in opposite directions.

2. In an eye mounting for dolls, a supporting member comprising a singlepiece of wire having an intermediate crimped portion and having its endportions in axial alinement and means atits extremities to penetrateinto opposite walls of a doll head, and a tube in which said wire isarranged having a slot through which said crimped portion projects, sothat said crimped portion may be straightened and thereby saidextremities will be forced in opposite directions outwardly from theends of said tube.

3. The eye mounting set forth in claim 2, wherein said wire has a notchin each end portion thereof, and with the addition of a each end portionof said wire within the first-mentioned tube to be abuttingly engagedadjacent its inner end by the respective said notch and to abuttinglyengage at its other end the corresponding side wall of a doll head,whereby to limit movement of said extremities of the wire into saidwalls.

4; In an eye mounting for dolls, a rocker to yieldingly hold and rotateeye members in eye sockets in a doll head, comprising a body of sheetmetal having integral spaced parallelpivot legs the planes of which areperpendicular to the plane of said body, said legs having alined pivotopenings to receive a support, and integral spring arms projectgeneralplanes approximately parallel to the plane of said. body to abuttinglyengage the rear of an eye member.

5. In an eye mounting for dolls, a supporting member comprising a singlepiece of wire having an intermediate crimped poring laterally from saidpivot legs withtheir tion and having its end portions in axial alinementand means at its extremities to penetrate into opposite Walls of a dollhead, a tube in which said wire is arranged having a slot through whichsaid crimped portion projects, so that said crimped portion may bestraightened and thereby said extremities will be forced in oppositedirections outwardly from the ends of said tube, segmentally sphericaleye members havin diametrical openings of I a diameter su stantiallygreater than that of said supporting member through which the latterloosely passes, and a rocker oscillatably mounted on said supportingmember between said eye members and having spring arms to abuttinglyengage said eye members and holdand rotate them in eye sockets in a dollhead.

6. In an eye mounting for dolls, a supporting member comprising a singlepiece of wire having an intermediate crimped portion and having its endportions m axial alinement and means at its extremities to penetrateinto opposite walls of a doll head, a tube in which said wire isarranged having a. slot through which said crimpedportion projects, sothat said crimped portion may be straightened and thereby saidextremities will be forced in opposite directions outwardly from theends of said tube, segmentally. spherical eye members having diametricalopenings of a diameter substantially greater than that of said tubethrough which the latter loosely passes, a rocker includin a body ofsheet metal having integral space parallel pivot legs the planes ofwhich are perpendicular to the plane of said body,said legs havingalined pivot openings to receive said tube, and integral spring armsprojecting laterally from said pivot legs with their general planesapproximately parallel to the plane of said body each to abuttinglyengage the rear of one'of said eye members.

7. The combination with a doll head having eye sockets, of a supportingmember comprising a single piece of wire having an intermediatecrimpedportion and having its end portions in axial alinementand means at itsextremities to penetrate into opposite walls of said doll head, a rigidsupport for said wire for holding the end portions of said wire againstbending and exposing said crimped portion so that it can be straightenedunder pressure to force said extremities of the wire in oppositedirections into said walls of the doll head, segmentally in eye socketsin a doll head.

. JOHN L. LITOMY.

